diff --git a/connectd/connectd.c b/connectd/connectd.c
index 02a2e010b..a71270deb 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd.c
+++ b/connectd/connectd.c
@@ -1412,7 +1412,8 @@ static void connect_init(struct daemon *daemon, const u8 *msg)
 		&daemon->announce_websocket,
 		&daemon->dev_fast_gossip,
 		&dev_disconnect,
-		&daemon->dev_no_ping_timer)) {
+		&daemon->dev_no_ping_timer,
+		&daemon->dev_handshake_no_reply)) {
 		/* This is a helper which prints the type expected and the actual
 		 * message, then exits (it should never be called!). */
 		master_badmsg(WIRE_CONNECTD_INIT, msg);
diff --git a/connectd/connectd.h b/connectd/connectd.h
index 00a188212..20b65ce1a 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd.h
+++ b/connectd/connectd.h
@@ -266,7 +266,9 @@ struct daemon {
 	int dev_disconnect_fd;
 	/* Did we exhaust fds?  If so, skip dev_report_fds */
 	bool dev_exhausted_fds;
-};
+	/* Allow connections in, but don't send anything */
+	bool dev_handshake_no_reply;
+ };
 
 /* Called by io_tor_connect once it has a connection out. */
 struct io_plan *connection_out(struct io_conn *conn, struct connecting *connect);
diff --git a/connectd/connectd_wire.csv b/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
index 2df3dd00e..d15ffc66c 100644
--- a/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
+++ b/connectd/connectd_wire.csv
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ msgdata,connectd_init,dev_fast_gossip,bool,
 # If this is set, then fd 5 is dev_disconnect_fd.
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_disconnect,bool,
 msgdata,connectd_init,dev_no_ping_timer,bool,
+# Allow incoming connections, but don't talk.
+msgdata,connectd_init,dev_noreply,bool,
 
 # Connectd->master, here are the addresses I bound, can announce.
 msgtype,connectd_init_reply,2100
diff --git a/connectd/peer_exchange_initmsg.c b/connectd/peer_exchange_initmsg.c
index bef289ad3..99933e3c0 100644
--- a/connectd/peer_exchange_initmsg.c
+++ b/connectd/peer_exchange_initmsg.c
@@ -295,5 +295,9 @@ struct io_plan *peer_exchange_initmsg(struct io_conn *conn,
 		break;
 	}
 
+	/* Don't converse if we said "no reply" */
+	if (daemon->dev_handshake_no_reply)
+		return io_wait(conn, peer->msg, io_never, NULL);
+
 	return io_write(conn, peer->msg, tal_bytelen(peer->msg), next, peer);
 }
diff --git a/lightningd/connect_control.c b/lightningd/connect_control.c
index b9757e4cf..2ba6d54c6 100644
--- a/lightningd/connect_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/connect_control.c
@@ -764,7 +764,8 @@ int connectd_init(struct lightningd *ld)
 	    !ld->deprecated_ok,
 	    ld->dev_fast_gossip,
 	    ld->dev_disconnect_fd >= 0,
-	    ld->dev_no_ping_timer);
+	    ld->dev_no_ping_timer,
+	    ld->dev_handshake_no_reply);
 
 	subd_req(ld->connectd, ld->connectd, take(msg), -1, 0,
 		 connect_init_done, NULL);
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.c b/lightningd/lightningd.c
index 76c8dcc16..0434990a4 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.c
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.c
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ static struct lightningd *new_lightningd(const tal_t *ctx)
 	ld->dev_allow_shutdown_destination_change = false;
 	ld->dev_hsmd_no_preapprove_check = false;
 	ld->dev_hsmd_fail_preapprove = false;
+	ld->dev_handshake_no_reply = false;
 
 	/*~ We try to ensure enough fds for twice the number of channels
 	 * we start with.  We have a developer option to change that factor
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.h b/lightningd/lightningd.h
index 8b1d973b7..090e8b6c5 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.h
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.h
@@ -356,6 +356,9 @@ struct lightningd {
 	bool dev_hsmd_no_preapprove_check;
 	bool dev_hsmd_fail_preapprove;
 
+	/* Tell connectd not to talk after handshake */
+	bool dev_handshake_no_reply;
+
 	/* tor support */
 	struct wireaddr *proxyaddr;
 	bool always_use_proxy;
diff --git a/lightningd/options.c b/lightningd/options.c
index 8c794f271..0ec3abd69 100644
--- a/lightningd/options.c
+++ b/lightningd/options.c
@@ -952,6 +952,10 @@ static void dev_register_opts(struct lightningd *ld)
 		       opt_set_u32, opt_show_u32,
 		       &ld->fd_limit_multiplier,
 		       "Try to set fd limit to this many times by number of channels (default: 2)");
+	clnopt_noarg("--dev-handshake-no-reply", OPT_DEV,
+		     opt_set_bool,
+		     &ld->dev_handshake_no_reply,
+		     "Don't send or read init message after connection");
 	/* This is handled directly in daemon_developer_mode(), so we ignore it here */
 	clnopt_noarg("--dev-debug-self", OPT_DEV,
 		     opt_ignore,